The Atlantis hotel in Dubai will still open as scheduled despite a fire tearing through its lobby.
Director of public relations Ashley McBain for Kerzner, which owns the 1,539 room property, said the fire on Tuesday morning was contained in the main entrance hall of and was put out within nearly four hours of first being detected.
Only the lobby’s roof was damaged in the fire and, although it is too early to say how much it will cost to repair, the hotel’s core steel structure has remained unaffected and the hotel will still open on September 24 as planned.
Once opened it will be the first completed hotel on the Palm.
McBain said: “There was very minimal smoke and water damage and we are taking restorative measures to ensure there’s no residual effects.”
Meanwhile tour operators who have been forward selling the property have spoken of their relief that the fire will not affect the hotel’s opening date.
Hayes & Jarvis regional product and contracts manager for Dubai and the Middle East Andrea Loddo said: “We have been assured that there has been no major damage and that the main lobby can be re-instated in time for the opening later this month.
“Hayes & Jarvis has taken many bookings for the opening period and we have clients travelling out during the first week and we are confident that everything will be ready and open in time for their arrival.”
Premier Holidays product manager Nikki Hain added: “We’re not concerned about it at all now, we’ve had 100% reassurance that everything will be fine. It is really exciting for everybody concerned with Dubai to see the first hotel open on the Palm.”